The Tanzania Freight Forwarders Association has pronounced its opposition against the government's move to double up storage charges which the port authorities claimed would help decongest the Dar es Salaam Port.

    The freight dealers association has stated that the tariff hike would add direct burdens not only to its customers but onto the general public that depends on imported goods as well.

    The association has also expressed its surprise at the move by the Tanzania Ports Authority that ,instead of improving its own services, had resorted to raise the container storage charges by 100 percent to decongest the port yard facilities.

    "It (Tanzania Ports Authority) was assigned the task of improving its operational services to ease congestion," said Otieno Igogo who is the chairman of the freight association, "It is therefore surprising that it is resorting to raising the tariff rates without improving its own services."

    The Dar es Salaam Port now takes between 41 and 43 days to clear containers ferried in from elsewhere.

    Last week the Tanzania Ports Authority moved to double up storage charges of containers in an attempt to help decongest the Dar es Salaam Port which has been keeping cargo ships waiting for long at anchorage.

    Twenty-feet containers and 40-feet containers are now each charged 40 and 80 U.S. dollars daily for taking up the space of port facilities, according the ports authority. The new storage charge went into effect on the New Year day for those containers that have stayed in the port yard for over 21 days.

    Previously after a free storage of seven days in the port yard, 20-feet and 40-feet containers would be charged for 20 and 40 dollars respectively per day for between the eighth and 30th day in the port yard.

    The ports authority will also hand over unclaimed containers to the Tanzania Revenue Authority for auction.

    Shipping companies have been complaining about the unloading backlog of their cargoes at the Dar es Salaam Port where container congestion has been holding much of the port yard facilities.